英國醞釀在2026年推出碳邊境稅

英國財政大臣杰里米-亨特（Jeremy Hunt）正計劃從2026年起對來自氣候監(jiān)管較弱國家進口的碳密集型商品征稅，這與歐盟正在采取的措施相仿。

 

該計劃可能將在近期的政府季度聲明中宣布。英國政府曾在今年早些時候就是否引入“碳邊境調(diào)節(jié)機制”（CBAM）公開征求過意見。

 

歐盟于今年9月啟動了CBAM計劃，以解決“碳泄漏”問題。預計亨特將宣布，英國將在歐盟機制生效的 2026 年啟動英國版的 CBAM 計劃，以避免英國成為面臨歐盟征稅的碳密集型產(chǎn)品的“傾銷地”。

 

政府確認繼續(xù)實施該計劃將受到英國工業(yè)界的歡迎，但官員們提醒說，政府機構間的談判仍在繼續(xù)，任何宣布都可能推遲到春季預算周期。

 

貿(mào)易機構英國鋼鐵公司（UK Steel）的總干事加雷斯-斯特斯說：“隨著英國鋼鐵工業(yè)向綠色鋼鐵生產(chǎn)轉型，非常重要的是，它不再繼續(xù)被高排放的進口鋼材所取代。”

 

“歐洲正在實施自己的CBAM，如果我們不盡快制定和實施自己的措施，英國就有可能與我們最大的貿(mào)易伙伴之間形成破壞性的貿(mào)易壁壘。”

 

英國政府還面臨一個挑戰(zhàn)，即如何使本國碳市場與歐盟碳市場保持一致，以避免英國制造商在 CBAM 下要對本國出口產(chǎn)品征稅，因為英國市場的碳價格遠低于歐盟市場。

 

財政部在 2021 年 10 月的凈零審查中提出了 CBAM 的前景，但警告說實施起來會很復雜。英國首相蘇納克（Rishi Sunak）今年早些時候表示，這一想法“合情合理”，并暗示英國可以就其計劃與布魯塞爾合作。

 

歐洲議會首席談判代表彼得-利塞（Peter Liese）去年表示，歐盟的 CBAM已成為“歐洲有史以來，也有人說是全球最具規(guī)模的氣候法。” 該機制最初要求進口商收集信息而不征稅。

 

從歐盟外向歐洲銷售鐵、水泥、化肥和電力供應等產(chǎn)品的公司，如果沒有可比的碳成本，將面臨與歐盟排放交易體系下與碳價格掛鉤的新征稅。

 

但無論英國是否建立 CBAM，如果英國不在法律上將其碳定價與歐盟的碳定價掛鉤，那么如果英國的碳價格仍然較低，英國的出口仍可能面臨征稅。

 

即使是可再生能源電力的出口也可能面臨征稅，因為從一個電網(wǎng)出口到另一個電網(wǎng)時，無法識別電力供應是來自綠色能源還是化石燃料。

 

英國能源行業(yè)組織副主任亞當-伯曼（Adam Berman）說：“將我們的碳定價制度與歐盟的碳定價制度掛鉤，可使英國公司免于承擔這些成本。”

 

英國脫歐后的碳市場與歐盟排放交易計劃相似，但今年英國碳價大幅下跌，因為蘇納克政府提供的碳配額遠超此前的預期。英國的碳價格約為每噸 41 英鎊，而歐盟的碳價格為每噸 66 英鎊（76 歐元）。

 

據(jù)英國能源部計算，英國財政部每年因碳價疲軟而損失近30億英鎊的收入。能源部警告說，如果碳價繼續(xù)打折，每年約5億英鎊的邊境稅實際上將由歐盟而非英國獲得。

 

能源與氣候信息小組（Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit）能源主管杰斯-拉爾斯頓（Jess Ralston）表示，CBAM或有助于恢復部分綠色投資者的信心。

 

“歐盟躍躍欲試地推出 CBAM，美國《通脹削減法案》則如幽靈般時刻吸引著大西洋彼岸的低碳投資，英國確實必須行動起來了。”

 

上個月對英國制造業(yè) 400 名高級經(jīng)理進行的一項調(diào)查顯示，四分之三的人支持英國引入 CBAM，只有 8% 的人反對。該調(diào)查覆蓋了建筑、機械、汽車和食品等行業(yè)。

 

這項由智庫E3G 委托進行的調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，每 10 家英國制造商中就有 7 家表示，英國未來的任何碳邊境措施都應與歐洲的計劃相一致。

 

但CBAM也遭到了一些貿(mào)易競爭對手的批評，尤其是美國、中國和南非，他們認為該政策將不公平地懲罰這些國家的制造商。

 

財政部表示將在適當?shù)臅r候宣布下一步措施。“我們不會對財政事件前的猜測發(fā)表評論。”

 

英文原文：

 

Jeremy Hunt, the UK chancellor, is planning to introduce levies on imported carbon-intensive goods from countries with weaker climate regulations from 2026, mirroring measures being introduced by the EU.

 

The plan, which could be announced in this month’s Autumn Statement, follows a consultation earlier this year on whether to introduce a “carbon border adjustment mechanism”, or CBAM, to protect industries from unfair competition from regions with lower carbon costs.

 

The EU soft-launched its CBAM programme in September to tackle “carbon leakage”, when companies move production to countries with weaker or non-existent carbon costs while retaining free access to markets where heavy industry pays for emissions.

 

Hunt is expected to announce that the UK will launch its own CBAM programme in 2026, when the EU mechanism takes effect, to avoid the risk of the UK becoming a dumping ground for carbon-intensive products facing levies by the EU.

 

Confirmation that the government was going ahead with the plan would be welcomed by UK industries, although officials cautioned that cross-Whitehall negotiations were continuing and any announcement could slip to the spring Budget. 

 

“As the UK steel industry is transiting to green steel production, it is essential that it is not continually outcompeted by high-emission, imported steel,” said Gareth Stace, director-general of trade body UK Steel.

 

“Europe is implementing its own CBAM, and the UK risks a damaging trade barrier with our biggest trade partner if we don’t develop and implement our own measures quickly.”

 

The government also faces a challenge in aligning its own carbon market with the EU’s to avoid British manufacturers facing levies on their own exports under CBAM, as carbon prices in the UK market are far lower than those on the EU market.

 

The Treasury raised the prospect of a CBAM in its net zero review in October 2021 but warned it would be complicated to implement. Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, said earlier this year that the idea was “reasonable and sensible” and hinted that Britain could co-operate with Brussels over its plans. 

 

The EU’s CBAM, which initially requires importers to collect information without charging the levy, has been “the biggest climate law ever in Europe, and some say in the world”, Peter Liese, lead negotiator for the European parliament, said last year.

 

Companies selling products such as iron, cement, fertiliser and power supplies into Europe from outside the bloc, and who do not face comparable carbon costs, will face new levies linked to the carbon price under the EU Emissions Trading System.

 

But regardless of whether the UK creates a CBAM, if it does not legally link its carbon pricing to the EU’s, British exports could still face levies if UK carbon prices remain lower.

 

Even exports of renewable electricity could face levies because it is not possible to identify whether power supplies come from green sources or fossil fuels when exporting from one grid to another.

 

“Linking our carbon pricing regime with the EU’s would exempt UK companies from these costs,” said Adam Berman, deputy director of industry body Energy UK.

 

The UK’s post-Brexit carbon market is a close copy of the EU ETS, but this year British carbon prices fell sharply as Sunak’s government made more carbon allowances available than previously expected. The UK carbon price is about £41 a tonne compared with £66 (€76) a tonne in the EU.

 

Energy UK calculates the Treasury is losing out on almost £3bn of revenue annually from weak carbon prices and has warned that about £500mn a year in border taxes will in effect be captured by the EU rather than the UK if prices continue to trade at a discount.

 

Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said a CBAM could help reinstate some green investor confidence that was “shaken” by Sunak’s net zero U-turns in September.

 

“With the EU leaping ahead with its CBAM, and the ever-present spectre of the US Inflation Reduction Act luring low-carbon investment across the Atlantic, the UK really does have to act.”

 

A survey last month of 400 senior managers in the UK manufacturing industry covering sectors from construction and machinery to automotives and food found that three-quarters backed the introduction of a UK CBAM, with only 8 per cent opposing it.

 

The survey, commissioned by think-tank E3G, found that seven in 10 British manufacturers said any future UK carbon border measure should be compatible with the European scheme.

 

But CBAM has been criticised by some trading rivals — in particular the US, China and South Africa — who believe the policy will unfairly penalise their manufacturers. 

 

The Treasury said it would announce its next steps in due course. “We do not comment on speculation ahead of fiscal events.”

 

本文 2023 年 11 月 12 日發(fā)布于金融時報。文章僅代表作者觀點，不代表本公眾號立場。

 

翻譯 審校/姚喆 韓迪    編輯/韓迪